THE CORNERPLAYhttp://cornerplay.com
Once a day on tech, gadgets and entrepreneurshipTue, 03 Mar 2015 13:26:18 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/http://0.gravatar.com/blavatar/49b21c44425556ddce5a3b28e1d38034?s=96&d=http%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngTHE CORNERPLAYhttp://cornerplay.com
Americans want better PCs for the dollar, HP and Dell outgrew Applehttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/14/2014-pc-market/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/14/2014-pc-market/#commentsWed, 14 Jan 2015 15:59:11 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4134]]>Now that 2014 has come to a close, we can definitively say that the PC market has turned around in the US, growing 5% after years of decline.

Without much category competition, PC innovation grew stagnant over the decades. Then tablets came and easily beat PCs that catered to low cost, light computing needs. PC makers tried new things, but the technology wasn’t ready. New, experimental devices were either too heavy, too slow, too short on battery life or too expensive. Windows 8’s bad reputation certainly didn’t help.

2014 was a comeback because the entire PC value curve shifted upwards significantly. You got far better PCs for a given price, and customers — now used to great smartphones and tablets — demanded and expected quality. Only the top PC makers met that expectation.

Meanwhile, the tablet form factor saw little change so naturally, it made sense for customers to upgrade their old PCs for a dramatically better experience. The tablets they already had were just fine.

Now that we are on the brink of “good enough” convergence between PCs and tablets, I expect the hybrid form factor to grow even more as people seek to save money and do work on their tablets.

Last year, I consistently beat the gong for big display smartphones, and that was before the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus made the notion popular. This year I am beating the gong for hybrid devices.

Well, that was a longer lead-in than I expected to write. On with actual numbers from IDC.

HP and Dell posted an impressive year, growing 13% and 15% respectively despite being the top two biggest PC makers, especially when compared to market which grew 5%. Apple and Lenovo did well too.

I wrote about this before: the PC market is seeing a flight to quality. The top tier manufacturers are growing while the lower tier ones are contracting. The “Others” category saw an 18% drop in shipments.

This goes back to users expecting a better PC experience for a given dollar. PC makers that were able to meet that expectation flourish, while those that can’t die.

This is why Apple has done so well; and why HP, Dell and Lenovo have done even better.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/14/2014-pc-market/feed/0hp-wallpaper-1280x800jyuwonopcmarketWhat you can do with $30 million of venture fundinghttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/13/clinkle-pivot-treats/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/13/clinkle-pivot-treats/#commentsTue, 13 Jan 2015 15:59:45 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4128]]>Have you heard of Color? It’s the start-up that raised a staggering $41 million without a product. Unfortunately, that capital didn’t translate into a hit and Color soon folded.

Clinkle could be the next Color. Clinkle raised an amazing $30 million, also on the back of concepts and not actual product. Unfortunately, that capital didn’t translate into a hit and…Clinkle is now pivoting.

TechCrunch has a story on the pivot, now called Treats, and it basically sounds like a debit card with rewards you give to your friends. I use the word “basically” because I’m still confused by the mechanic, despite TechCrunch laying it out in point-by-point form.

That’s got to be worrying for Treats.

People are busy and have enough problems; most won’t learn something new that’s complicated when there are already so many good alternatives.

Here are those TechCrunch bullet points:

Vague descriptions of Clinkle have proliferated, but Duplan gave me the specifics on how his new app Treats will actually function:

4. You take a photo to create a virtual gift card, and send the Treat to a friend. You can’t redeem it yourself.

5. Your friend is notified they have a Treat waiting to be unlocked.

6. Other friends can see the locked Treat and its photo, and can “Boost” aka Like the Treat to increase the chance it will be a winner.

7. The friend who received the Treat swipes their Treats card to make a purchase, unlocking the Treat.

8. If the Treat is a winner, they immediately get refunded the entire price of the purchase they just made.

9. Whether or not they win, they then see the photo gift card you sent them.

OK, let’s see if I can do better than TechCrunch. On your seventh purchase with the Treats debit card, you can give a friend a Treat. When said friend buys something with her Treats debit card, there is a chance she can get that purchase free.

Hmmm.

I like the idea of earning rewards for friends, but I don’t like Treats’ execution.

The first problem is a chicken and egg one. How many of my friends would have a Treats card? Few, I suspect. Moreover, how many would actually have gone through the cumbersome process of adding money to it? Even fewer.

The second problem is that the probability of a successful Treat is hidden. As a customer, I would have the sneaking suspicion that the probability is dynamically lower for when I’m making a big purchase. In other words, it’s difficult to trust that Treats is fair.

The trust problem extends further. Would you deposit money with a start-up you’ve never heard of?

And then there’s the complexity. This thing is hard to understand, and most won’t bother.

Finally, and probably the biggest problem of all, most people don’t need another debit card. The one they already have — with the bank they know well — works pretty well.

So this is cool, but when you think about it, it’s also really scary. This is just poker. One day, technology would have advanced enough that an AI can run billions of simulations about anything and learn everything — it won’t need stupid, slow humans to teach them.

Self-learning AI will either usher in an unprecedented golden age for humanity…or doom us as an obsolete species.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/12/cepheus-poker-ai/feed/0AIjyuwonoMaybe we’re too obsessed with teenagershttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/11/pew-teen-social-media/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/11/pew-teen-social-media/#commentsSun, 11 Jan 2015 15:59:59 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4105]]>A teenager wrote about how teens use social media and it’s fascinating. It’s based off his experiences and observations of peers, so perhaps the sample size is limited, but it’s well written and insightful in connecting human psyche to products. It’s worth a read, and if you’d like the TL:DR here it is…

Teens like Snapchat because they can be themselves, they don’t really care about privacy or security

Tumblr is about anonymity

Yik Yak is great for schools and maybe not elsewhere

Women use Pinterest

One thing I do wonder about is the premise of the article — the fascination the tech punditry have about teenagers, their behavior and what products they use. Knowing what teens like is good data of course, because they tend to be early adopters and can signal what everyone else will eventually use; moreover, they’ll grow older and eventually comprise the mass market.

However, their importance in the grand scheme of things is a little exaggerated. Teen obsession doesn’t always translate into to adult obsession. Off the top of my head: Pokémon, One Direction, Cancun and existential angst.

These social networks are probably linked to life stages. The same teens who are obsessed with getting the latest gossip from their classmates in Yik Yak may not care as much when they are working full-time jobs and raising a family.

The teens who are reticent to share to Facebook may do so more as adults. You care less about who sees what — because the photos you’re posting are all boring holiday and baby photos anyway — and more about reaching as many friends and yes, even relatives as possible.

Users are visiting Facebook more frequently, and staying on the site longer. The Pew study found that 70 percent of Facebook users engage with the site daily—up from 63 percent in 2013. By comparison, the percentage of Instagram and Pinterest users who engage with those social networks did not change significantly from the previous year.

Some of that growth is driven by, gasp, older adults, but it’s strange to see that negatively. Sometimes, teens need to zig where adults zag, and that’s just fine.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/11/pew-teen-social-media/feed/0img_0857jyuwonoYet another cat fight between Google and Microsofthttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/10/project-zero-google-microsoft/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/10/project-zero-google-microsoft/#commentsSat, 10 Jan 2015 15:59:48 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4114]]>There’s a cat fight happening between Google and Microsoft. Basically, Google has a policy to publicly disclose any bugs it finds within 90 days of informing the software provider. In this case, it was a bug in Windows that allowed a person’s system to be taken over. It’s not easy to do, but possible nevertheless.

The 90 window passed with still no fix from Microsoft, so Google went ahead and published the bug for all hackers to learn. Microsoft did issue a fix just two days after Google went public, and obviously isn’t happy with Google. As a Microsoft representative wrote:

Although following through keeps to Google’s announced timeline for disclosure, the decision feels less like principles and more like a “gotcha”, with customers the ones who may suffer as a result. . .What’s right for Google is not always right for customers. We urge Google to make protection of customers our collective primary goal.”

So who’s right, who’s wrong?

Google deserves kudos for finding the bug. Their 90 day policy is in place to put pressure on software makers to issue fixes, which is always a good thing for consumers. Without that pressure, software makers may never get around to fixing bugs. So consistent enforcement is necessary to give the policy teeth.

Making an exception for Microsoft could lead to many more exceptions in the future; it’s a slippery slope. The bug is Microsoft’s responsibility and it’s their responsibility to fix it as soon as they can.

However, having been in the business of software development for a few years, I can empathize. There will always be bugs, especially in a product as complex as Windows.

Moreover, not all bugs are created equal. Some really can take more than 90 days to properly fix. We’ve found bad bugs before that required a larger re-architecting. Yes, it’s our fault re-architecting was even needed in the first place, but those are problems every software developer has. Software, like Rome, isn’t built in a day, and sometimes buildings have to be torn down to make things better.

This was likely the case for the Windows bug. Microsoft didn’t decide to fix the bug just because Google went public; most likely, they started working on it early and just couldn’t get it done in 90 days.

It’s a tough call. Google needs to enforce standards, otherwise, by default none exist. Yet, those standards are not always fair or realistic.

If I was Google I’d probably have given Microsoft the extra two days though.

After all, Google too has annoying bugs that they haven’t fixed in years. Like this one.

Update (Jan 15, 2014): Or this serious one, which affects over 60% of Android users and remains unfixed.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/10/project-zero-google-microsoft/feed/0cats_cat_1920x1441jyuwonoI hate clones, but this Surface Pro rip-off is interestinghttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/09/jide-remix-ultra/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/09/jide-remix-ultra/#commentsFri, 09 Jan 2015 15:59:19 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4099]]>I don’t normally think much of clones, but the Remix Ultra from Jide is intriguing.

Let’s get it out of the way: it’s basically a rip-off of the Surface, right down to the aesthetics, adjustable kickstand, thin detachable keyboard cover, location of SD card and ports, etc. Even the software looks the same.

Fortunately, there are two key differences that can validate the Remix Ultra’s existence. The first is that the tablet is based on Android and with a custom launcher that’s designed for productivity. The second is price.

I’m in the middle of testing a Lenovo Yoga Pro 2 Tablet and, there’s no sugar coating it, Android is terrible for tablets right now and especially for productivity use cases.

Remix OS is an attempt to correct this by adding a Windows-styled taskbar and multi-window support. It even has its own version of Windows 10’s Continuum, where users transition from touch mode to keyboard mode at the tap of a button.

When you’re in full screen, tap the Jide logo on the lower right to view apps in smaller windows. I’m not sure if these are resizeable, but they essentially become the apps’ smartphone versions.

If it’s just a hackneyed clone of the Surface Pro and Windows, then why bother?

While the Surface Pro has an endless number of keyboard and mouse applications, it doesn’t have many great touch-based apps. The Remix OS brings Android’s vast library to a potentially capable converged device. I’ll have to get my hands on one to know how well it really works.

The second thing the Remix Ultra Tablet does right is the price. The plan is for the 16 GB model to sell for $350 and the 64 GB model for $450 — I assume these prices include the keyboard.

The tablet sports an 11.6-inch, 1080P display, 2 GB of RAM and a Tegra processor. If Jide is smart, the tablet should weigh less than 1.5 pounds.

While the Surface Pro does a lot of things right, one thing it doesn’t have is an accessible price. The Remix Ultra has the chance to replicate what Microsoft is trying to do with the benefit of the Android ecosystem, all at a mass market price.

That’s not Windows you’re looking at

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/09/jide-remix-ultra/feed/3detail_02jyuwonoMaybe a Kickstarter gadget will deliver for oncehttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/08/thedash-bragi-kickstarter/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/08/thedash-bragi-kickstarter/#commentsThu, 08 Jan 2015 15:59:50 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4093]]>I used to be an active Kickstarter, having backed Pebble, the Buccaneer, a couple games and a bunch of other things. However, I didn’t back a single project in 2014 after realizing most will get horribly delayed and/or fall way short of what was promised. It makes more sense to simply wait for products to be ready and buy then.

The Dash by Bragi was one project I nearly gave into last year. I’ve mentioned them before on this blog. They’re essentially wireless Bluetooth earbuds with touch controls, microphone and fitness tracking. They look pretty sweet, and unsurprisingly Bragi received plenty of funding.

Engadget was able to get a hands-on with The Dash at CES and apparently they are for real: they look as advertised, touch controls work and they don’t fall out of your ears. The author says they will start shipping next month to the earliest backers.

I don’t know how good they are going to be, but let’s plan for the worse and hope for the best. Let’s assume The Dash is going to be a classic example of trying to do too many things and nothing well. If that’s the case, I know exactly what I would have cut: everything but the music and microphone.

Bragi is positioning The Dash as a jogger’s device, but this feels too narrow. I’m become a huge fan of Bluetooth headphones (the convenience far outweigh the poorer audio quality) and The Dash goes one step further by eliminating the wire that connects the two earbuds together. I’d prefer if Bragi double downed on music and increased the battery life from the current 3.5 hours to multiples more.

Does it need to track steps and my heart rate given most in their target market already have a fitness wearable?

Does The Dash really need 4 GB of storage?

Does it need to be waterproof?

Instead of retailing for $300, could a simpler product retail at $100 instead?

Maybe Bragi can pull it all off and give us an amazing converged device. I’m hoping for it, and if they pull it off, will be one of the first in line to buy it. Outside of Kickstarter.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/08/thedash-bragi-kickstarter/feed/0Bragi_Dash_InUse_01jyuwonoNew 12-inch MacBook Air shows Apple still ballsyhttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/07/the-new-12-inch-macbook-air-shows-apple-is-still-ballsy/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/07/the-new-12-inch-macbook-air-shows-apple-is-still-ballsy/#commentsWed, 07 Jan 2015 13:00:22 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4084]]>Let’s talk about the new, 12-inch MacBook Air. Typically, I don’t comment on speculation but 9to5mac seems confident about their information. Anyway, this isn’t about the MacBook Air per se and more on how Apple is still willing to take big risks — which is fantastic — and about their view on computing.

Here’s the quick rundown on those MacBook Air rumors:

12-inch display in an extremely compact design

One USB Type-C port, one headphone port and…that’s it for ports

Smaller than standard keyboard

Trackpad has no mechanical key

The Type-C port, in addition to its typical USB functionality, is also capable of powering the laptop and driving displays. The thinking is that one port will be used for all those things and via hub when needed.

This is a risky design. The Type-C port will break easy compatibility with accessories, similar to the lightning port for iPhone and iPad, and will surely piss some people off. The smaller keyboard may annoy Apple lifers. Removing the mechanical key on the trackpad means the likelihood that a touch is misinterpreted as a tap is higher.

So why do it?

This goes back to Apple’s view on what the MacBook Air is for. The MacBook Air is meant to be the most mobile productivity device ever, and for people who value portability above power and still want to get work done. The new MacBook Air doubles down on that approach.

The unconventional changes might annoy some, but on the whole, the lighter form factor will make the MacBook Air more appealing to its target market.

I love it. The new Air breaks industry convention — the very same that Apple set — yet comes closer to Apple’s vision for portable computing.

It’s also ballsy because, more than ever, the MacBook Air will directly compete with the iPad. Its size and weight is becoming more tablet-like. What would people buy: a portable consumption only device, or a portable consumption and productivity device that’s only marginally bigger and heavier?

Apple deserves applause for ignoring potential cannibalization and putting both on the market for customers to choose.

What would be even better is if Apple took one step further and made a keyboard accessory for the iPad that doubles as a cover. That would be the true test of whether laptops and tablets have finally converged.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/07/the-new-12-inch-macbook-air-shows-apple-is-still-ballsy/feed/5keyboardgray-copyjyuwonoProfileL-R copyComparison copyJeff Bezos tried to be like Steve Jobs and failedhttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/06/jeff-bezos-tried-to-be-like-steve-jobs-and-failed/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/06/jeff-bezos-tried-to-be-like-steve-jobs-and-failed/#commentsTue, 06 Jan 2015 15:59:02 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4077]]>Fast Company has a fascinating article on Jeff Bezos and the Amazon Fire. It’s a great piece and worth the long length. Check it out and then come back here.

For those who don’t need the nuance, here’s the story’s bottom line: the Amazon Fire was Jeff Bezos’ baby. He micromanaged it like Steve Jobs, and made decisions unpopular with his team but which he pushed through anyway. One example is Dynamic Perspective, the feature that enabled the phone’s 3D effect, came at great cost and which customers didn’t end up appreciating.

The story is fascinating because it gets to the heart of intuition vs. data. Are great products born out of intuition and personal genius? Or out of market research, data analysis and testing? Microsoft is traditionally about the latter, and the one time they tried the former — Steven Sinofsky and Windows 8 — it wasn’t successful.

It appears that Amazon too tried to make that leap.

Amazon is famous for making decisions based on data, but with the Amazon Fire, Bezos strived to be more like Apple and made decisions based on intuition.

It’s not proof you can only be one or the other. There’s a lot of gray between these two ends — did Bezos not exercise intuition in insisting on schemes that looked crazy at the time, but proved prescient? Kindle hardware, Amazon Web Services, two day shipping, the enormous capital required to build the giant they are today — these are all fairly gutsy moves.

Creating great products is like hitting baseballs. You will definitely miss. But if you don’t make that swing, you’re never going to make it. As long as you don’t miss too many, all you need is one homerun. Despite this story’s inflammatory title, don’t count Bezos out — this is a smart guy who will get more things right than wrong.

I understand the strategy. The web is an open place so Amazon doesn’t have to worry about how customers get on it. However, mobile is a controlled environment, and there is a risk platform owners will eventually displace Amazon, similar to what Apple did with Google Maps for example with its own solution. So Bezos probably thought it wise to hedge its future with the Fire OS and Fire phone.

From there, Bezos probably concluded that, in the crowded smartphone market, they needed to make something unique that would wow people. Hence his insistence on Dynamic Perspective.

Where I take exception to this approach is why have the Fire OS at all. Why fork Android? It only makes sense is if Amazon intended to license Fire OS to other hardware makers (and how does that make sense); otherwise, wouldn’t it be better to simply make an Android phone with a custom launcher that serves as a gateway to its e-commerce platform?

If Amazon made an Android phone, it would have ecosystem parity. Customers can purchase the phone with confidence they can get their favorite apps. Then, you don’t need special hardware to catch people’s attention — all you need is a cheap price, great service and high awareness. Three things that Amazon has in spades.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/06/jeff-bezos-tried-to-be-like-steve-jobs-and-failed/feed/0101585584-jeff-bezos-illustration_1910x1000jyuwonoLaptops and tablets will finally, successfully converge in 2015http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/05/hybrid-convertible-2in1/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/05/hybrid-convertible-2in1/#commentsMon, 05 Jan 2015 15:59:57 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4066]]>2015 will be an exciting year for fans of 2-in-1 devices — i.e., hybrid convertibles that double as both laptop and tablet. Driving it are Intel’s new line of chips, which broadly offer a significantly better performance-to-power ratio. This means you can get reasonably performing PCs that don’t require fans, so designs can be thinner and lighter and have longer battery life.

As companies announce new devices that take advantage of the new chips at CES (happening right now), I’ll be zeroing in on one key metric: weight.

If you’ve been reading this blog, you know I believe the right form factor for a 2-in-1 is as large of a display as possible given a maximum weight of 1.5 pounds. Above that threshold, the tablet part of a 2-in-1 is heavy to hold with one hand as the other taps the screen.

2-in-1s have not yet achieved mainstream success because limitations of technology meant they were either too slow, too heavy or too short on battery life. Hopefully, this year, manufacturers get it right.

There’s ASUS, who may have revealed the successor to its Transformer Book series, 2-in-1s that are perpetually in Amazon’s top ten best seller list. The sequels include a T100 Chi with a 10.1-inch display and a T300 Chi with a 12.5-inch display. The latter weighs 1.6 pounds. A teensy bit too heavy for me, but probably still OK for the stronger out there.

Both are paired with thin keyboards that double as covers. The combination is still lighter and thinner than a Macbook Air, and unlike a Surface Pro 3, no kickstand is required in laptop mode.

I’m extremely interested in the T300 Chi, which as you can see above is quite a looker.

Then there’s Toshiba, which announced its Surface Pro 3 killer, the Portege Z20t. Like the T300 Chi, it will sport a 12.5-inch display and weigh the same 1.6 pounds. Also like the ASUS device, it comes with a detachable keyboard as well. Unfortunately, the Portege is 1.3 millimeters thicker than the T300 Chi.

On the upside, the Portege will have 9 hours of battery life with tablet alone, and a staggering 17 hours with the keyboard dock. It even comes with an optional Wacom pen, which makes the Portege a viable Surface Pro 3 competitor.

Finally, for this post at least, there’s Lenovo and its LaVie Z HZ750 (horrible name). It’s more akin to the Yoga line in that its tablet is the keyboard folded backwards. Even with a 13-inch display, Lenovo somehow managed to make this device weigh only 2.0 pounds.

I do think that’s too heavy for good tablet use, but in return you get a larger display and, surprisingly, an Intel Core processor.

These are just three examples, and I’m sure over the next few days we will see more of these kinds of devices as manufacturers show their hand at CES.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/05/hybrid-convertible-2in1/feed/0ASUS-Transformer-Book-T300-Chi-008jyuwonoWatch Netflix or Hulu via VPN? Then you must be a law-breaking piratehttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/04/netflix-vpn-pirate/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/04/netflix-vpn-pirate/#commentsSun, 04 Jan 2015 15:59:35 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4059]]>When I moved out of the US, one of the things I missed was Netflix. I considered keeping my subscription and streaming via VPN, but decided I needed to cut down on TV anyway and so canceled the subscription. I do have friends in similar situations who opted to keep subscribing, signing up for VPN services so they can watch in countries where Netflix is not present.

Unfortunately, according to TorrentFreak, it appears Netflix is now cracking down on customers using VPN to watch its shows. Note, that they are in fact customers.

This is in likelihood due to pressure from studios, who often have geography-focused licensing schemes. So if you’re in Australia, for example, that show you saw on Netflix via VPN was likely paid for by an Australian operator to show in Australia. I.e., it presents a lost profit opportunity for the Australian operator.

So Netflix cracking down on VPN use is perfectly fine, in my view. It’s their prerogative to structure their business however they see fit. What I do take issue with is these same Australian operators calling customers who watch via VPN as “pirates,” as if they are criminals breaking the law.

Highlighting how the TV networks view these people, an article this morning in News Corp-owned The Australian went as far as labeling subscribers as “pirates”, even though they are paying for the service.

It’s a little offensive if you think about it, and I’m not even part of the group being slandered.

Imagine if you were on holiday in Japan. There’s a product that’s sold in Japan that you want; the equivalent sold back home is more expensive, or maybe it’s inferior somehow. So you buy it in Japan and bring it back home. Are you now a pirate? Are you now a criminal?

That’s essentially what’s happening with watching via VPN. You paid money for a service. If the service provider doesn’t want to sell it to you because you’re not its target market, that’s fine, but that’s on the service provider to enforce. If enforcement is weak or nonexistent, that’s on the seller and not on the customer.

Buying something doesn’t make you a criminal, unless the product itself is illegal (e.g. drugs).

The media is labeling VPN viewers as pirates and that’s just not right.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/04/netflix-vpn-pirate/feed/2samllerjyuwonoiPhones no longer #1 in customer satisfactionhttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/03/apple-samsung-customer-satisfaction/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/03/apple-samsung-customer-satisfaction/#commentsSat, 03 Jan 2015 08:51:01 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4054]]>Tim Cook is fond of citing customer satisfaction scores as an indication of Apple’s truth north — that it’s about making delightful experiences for customers first; with market share and profits further down the list.

He won’t like the most recent customer satisfaction survey about mobile phones from the American Customer Satisfaction Index, based on 70,000 consumers. And that’s because Samsung beat Apple in the latest report.

Fortunately for Cook, the survey was conducted prior to the release of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. The bigger display just might reverse the trend.

If it doesn’t, it would be interesting to see what Cook has to say in his next keynote.

Making customer satisfaction scores the key metric is tricky business. So much of it is dependent on initial expectations that’s it’s not often a good indicator of actual product worthiness or progress.

Would a Samsung user who doesn’t know what a lag free scrolling experience is like, still rate Samsung phones as highly if she did?

Would an Apple user who’ve only experienced small screen displays and a rigid user experience, still rate iPhones as highly if she knew otherwise?

I don’t know.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/03/apple-samsung-customer-satisfaction/feed/0OCCSCUSTOMERjyuwonoJapan’s electronics scene isn’t like yourshttp://cornerplay.com/2015/01/02/japan-electronics-culture/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/02/japan-electronics-culture/#commentsFri, 02 Jan 2015 15:59:00 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4030]]>I just returned from a holiday in Japan, a country with a fascinating culture for electronics. My biggest takeaway is how mainstream gadgets are in Japan; unlike most other countries, there seems to be electronics stores at every corner, with average, everyday kind of people shopping there.

The first impression you get from visiting one is the barrage of colors and signs that beset you. Check out one below:

Stores would typically have a board of promotions out front, which is clever. Deal hunters and casual shoppers who pass by can take a few minutes to see if there’s anything worth buying. Many of these electronics stores are massive (the one I went to had 6 floors!) and could deter everyone but those shopping for something specific. So having the board outside with all the promotions is a good trigger to get people in.

The selection of stuff inside is amazing. Far better than any electronics store I’ve been to elsewhere. I got to check out firsthand all the obscure laptops, 2-in-1s, etc. that I may read about but never handled because they are too niche for my local electronics store to carry.

The section for headphones was particularly impressive. You’d be lucky if your local electronics store had any to test; often, you have to go to audio specialist stores to try a good range.

The store I went to in Tokyo – which is even more generalist than a Best Buy as it sold non-electronic items – had literally hundreds of headphones on display that you can test with your music player. All without having to ask for permission, and without store clerks looking over your shoulder making sure you don’t steal anything.

It was a subtle and powerful demonstration of the kind of service one can expect in Japan.

The crime rate is low in Japan, and generally there’s a high trust factor between merchants and customers. I was amazed they had smartphones on display near the entrance that weren’t even tethered!

It seemed so easy to pick one up and walk out with it – Japan would be a burglar’s wet dream.

Speaking of phones, I saw two that I’ve never seen or read about before.

One is this strange hexagonal shaped phone, the Arrows NX F-02G from Fujitsu.

The other is from Huawei – the Stream S I believe – and it impressed me. It’s thin and incredibly light, and made with a textured plastic that was nice to touch and provided good grip. I don’t know if the phone itself is any good, but I love the form factor.

If it came with a 5.5-inch display (the one I held was a 4.7-incher) and the latest technology, I would be an interested customer.

One thing I did find surprising is the Nexus 6, which was being pushed aggressively everywhere I went. There were many in stock – so if they are sold out in your area, it’s probably because all those Nexus 6s are allocated for Japan.

While you see the usual assortment of Japanese Android phones, iPhones do appear to be king there. My casual observation is that a good half of people living in Tokyo used iPhones.

Perhaps that’s why there are so many Nexus 6s there – Google wants to make sure it’s represented well in one of the world’s largest markets.

I would have taken more pics, but unfortunately got a lot of unfriendly looks while taking photos. The store isn’t worried about people stealing their phones, but they’re not quite OK with people taking photos.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/02/japan-electronics-culture/feed/1img_2767jyuwonowpid-wp-1420291855001.jpegwpid-wp-1420291854941.jpegwpid-wp-1420291855278.jpegwpid-wp-1420291855110.jpegwpid-wp-1420291856656.jpegwpid-wp-1420291854966.jpegwpid-wp-1420291856093.jpegwpid-wp-1420291855872.jpegHappy new year!http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/01/happy-new-year-2015/
http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/01/happy-new-year-2015/#commentsThu, 01 Jan 2015 15:59:14 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4018]]>Dear Cornerplay readers, happy new year! Here’s hoping your 2014 was great and that 2015 will be even better.

When I first started this blog in May last year, I just wanted an outlet from the daily grind of entrepreneurship — a chance to flex my fingers and create something that I can complete daily, as opposed to products that take months to build and launch.

I love writing this blog. There have been times when posting daily has been an incredible challenge — because life and work can take a toll sometimes — but on the whole, this blog has been a source of joy and positive energy.

Thank you for your readership, and thank you for contributing that bit of energy in my life.

The Cornerplay has grown by leaps and bounds in 2014, and it’ll make me happy to see you stick around for the ride in 2015.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2015/01/01/happy-new-year-2015/feed/1happy-new-year-fireworks-celebrationsjyuwonoPicture1Lizard Squad: so scary, yet so stupidhttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/31/lizardsquad-hacker-agency/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/31/lizardsquad-hacker-agency/#commentsWed, 31 Dec 2014 12:23:25 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4009]]>Lizard Squad is pissing me off. First, because I couldn’t play Destiny or go on the PlayStation Network for several days because the hacker group launched DDoS attacks that brought it down. Second, because it appears at least one or them did it for money, and small money at that.

According to The Guardian, Lizard Squad launched Lizard Stresser, a service that can be used to take down any website or network for only $6, upwards to $500. The attacks on Sony and Microsoft were supposedly a “huge marketing scheme” for this DDoS service.

How…incredibly short sighted. $6?? A good coder can earn so much more doing something legitimate. The world is your oyster and the best thing you can do is charge peanuts to do evil?

The thought of every Dick and Jane spending just a few bucks to cause havoc over the smallest slight is disturbing.

It’s so easy to do cause harm onto others online that I wonder whether some kind of specialized, international protection agency is necessary. A group with the mandate to work with authorities from multiple countries to search and take down these cyber criminals.

A little bit like the Finest Squad — a group that identified at least three members of the Lizard Squad to the police — but a formal version, and with real muscle and resources.

The Internet frontier has grown so fast, maybe it’s time for a sheriff.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/31/lizardsquad-hacker-agency/feed/1LeadLSjyuwonoPart 2 of the browser wars is cominghttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/30/internet-explorer-spartan-browser/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/30/internet-explorer-spartan-browser/#commentsTue, 30 Dec 2014 15:59:54 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=4000]]>Microsoft is rumored to be working on a new browser for Windows 10. So new, it may not even be called Internet Explorer.

It will still use Trident, Microsoft’s web rendering engine, so it’s likely to be more about changing the user interface (to be more like Chrome) and brand than anything fundamental. However, the break is supposedly big enough that Microsoft will include both this new browser and the existing IE11 “just in case” for Windows 10.

The new browser’s primary feature is to be lightweight and fast loading; hence its code name “Spartan” within Microsoft. This is the browser designed for all devices: PCs, tablets, phones and maybe even smaller.

It will probably have native app support – similar to extensions – and I expect Microsoft to eventually port it to Android and iOS.

One of Chrome’s biggest strengths is that you can use it on almost any platform and device, so your bookmarks, extensions, settings, etc. follow you. For many, Chrome is effectively their portal to Google’s services, and the precursor to the future of a cloud operating system.

Microsoft must surely see this, and thus Spartan as its strategic next step.

Yet again, Microsoft is playing catch-up to Google, but in this case it may have an opportunity. Chrome is simply getting too bloated as a browser, so if Microsoft can deliver on Spartan’s lightweight nature it could be a viable alternative.

The battle for the cloud may ironically resemble the Internet portal wars of the 90s waged among Yahoo, MSN, and AOL. It could be about winning the consumer’s first stop of the day, and that’s looking more and more like the browser regardless of platform and device.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/30/internet-explorer-spartan-browser/feed/0P01_00-BrowserWarsjyuwonogoogle-io-2013-chrome-android-devices-3454If all your money was in Bitcoin, you’d have only 44% lefthttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/29/bitcoin-currency-speculation/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/29/bitcoin-currency-speculation/#commentsMon, 29 Dec 2014 15:59:59 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3995]]>The hype for Bitcoin was almost oppressive earlier this year. I took a look and concluded it was too early to be a mainstream opportunity: it’s not consumer friendly, not widely accepted and worse, too extreme in its volatility for most to stomach.

Bloomberg’s recent study is a fresh reminder that hype does not always translate into immediate payoffs. Bitcoin was actually the worst performing currency of 2014, having lost 56% of its value from last year.

I do believe a non-national, digital currency like Bitcoin has real long term value, but this is over a horizon of many decades.

Until then, outside of niches like black markets where Bitcoin actually does solve problems, Bitcoin is purely speculative. In the short term, no different to tulip mania or the dot-com bubble of the late 90s.

People smarter than you and me — with more time and money — are trying to profit from Bitcoin and its volatility. Unless you’re one of those guys, it’s better not to play.

Whenever I travel, I don’t like carrying more than one plug converter and feel bad asking for more from the hotel — the USB slot on the power adapter solves that. The AC adapter charges the Surface and the USB slot simultaneously charges my smartphone, and it seems to charge just as quickly as it would normally.

Genius feature! If it gets shouted about enough, hopefully other manufacturers will follow.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/28/surface-adapter-usb/feed/2screen_shot_2014-05-29_at_8_28_21_amjyuwonoYour phone’s front facing camera does actually matterhttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/27/smartphone-selfie-stick/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/27/smartphone-selfie-stick/#commentsSat, 27 Dec 2014 15:59:12 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3983]]>One of the big smartphone trends this year is the “selfie” phone. HTC, Lumia, Sony, Huawei and many others all have at least one marketed that way.

I suspect that my initial reaction is like many of yours: scoffing dismissal. I’m now a convert however, and completely understand why this market might actually be large.

Sure, apps like Snapchat and Bolt encourage quick shots as ways of communicating, so the front facing camera is more valuable.

But it’s more than that, and it all comes down to this one tool: the selfie stick.

In case you don’t know what that is, it’s a selfie stick. It’s a tool where you can attach your phone to one end, extend the stick out and have the camera countdown to take a photo. So instead of asking strangers to take photos of you (and your group), you can easily do it yourself with the stick.

I’m on holiday right now with my girlfriend and she absolutely loves it. We’re in Japan, where the stick is not yet common place, and we get a lot of people staring. I’m pretty sure most of them want one too.

I snigger as much as the next guy when it comes selfie-crazed behavior, but it’s a different thing when you’re on holiday. You don’t just want a pic of the temple, you want the pic of the temple with you in it.

You want to be in the photos, and asking strangers who don’t speak your language to take one for you is a major pain. The selfie stick solves it.

We took a ton of photos this way, to the point where we probably took more photos with the front facing camera than ones with the back. It flips the typical camera phone use case on its head.

I actually wished our iPhone 6 Plus’ front facing camera was better.

The selfie stick craze is sweeping through at least China and South East Asia. If it hasn’t hit your region yet, trust me, it will.

Once it does, you’re going to actually pay attention to whether your next phone has a good front facing camera.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/27/smartphone-selfie-stick/feed/0selfie_stick_stjyuwonoOn TV to talk about clicktivism, social media and trollinghttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/26/clicktivism-social-torlling/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/26/clicktivism-social-torlling/#commentsFri, 26 Dec 2014 15:59:31 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3974]]>I was asked to be a guest on a TV show (to air yesterday I believe) to talk about social media, and thought I’d share some of the Q&A and my notes.

TOPIC 1: CLICKTIVISM

Social media has become an indispensable part of many people’s lives. The one trend that piqued our interest this year is social activism or “clicktivism”. The most recent being the #ill-ride-with-you movement. It emerged as a show of solidarity with Muslims in Australia after the deadly Sydney hostage crisis. Some people had voiced fears of repercussions as the hostage taker was an Iranian asylum seeker. How effective really are these hashtag movements?

They help create awareness if the underlying cause is viral worthy, and certainly, better than the alternative where there were no hashtags to lead to easy discovery.

On the back ice-bucket-challenge the ALS Association raised more that 100-million US dollars between July and August. Just to put that into perspective, the agency raised about 32-thousand US dollars over the same period just a year earlier. Definitely welcome – is this sustainable?

Not likely — it’s probably a one time thing. But as you pointed out, they raised over 3000x times more than they would have, so it was certainly a good outcome for the ALS Association.

Some have said that raising money like this for a disease-specific charity is a bad idea. It takes away donations that could have gone into other charities. Your thoughts?

In a way, yes in the sense that it may not be the most efficient allocation of our resources. But is pouring so much money into a new Transformers movie or grumpy cat a good use of our resources either?

The ice bucket challenge was a success because it combined entertainment, social and a good cause into one novel package. It was a great idea and the ALS Association deserved their achievement.

Also, it’s not as if those donations actually took money away from another cause; I’d bet those donations are additive not competitive.

One movement that fizzled out quite quickly was bring-back-our-girls, even though some of the girls have not been rescued. How valid is such clicktivism beyond raising the initial bout of awareness? (people quickly move on to the next big social trend)

It’s a difficult call because clicktivism helped bring awareness where none would have existed before, even if the actual cause does not have staying power. Yet, clicktivism has also been successful in other examples, like the Hong Kong and Bangkok protests.

TOPIC 2: TOP SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS

What are your networks of choice – the top three that you’re engaged on almost every day?

My boring answer is LINE, Whatsapp and Hangouts. But if we group those into one, then I’d add WordPress because of my blog and Facebook to the top 3.

One big trend in social media to watch out for is localized, anonymous apps like Whisper, Yik Yak and Secret. These have shown big growth spurts, but some questions remain whether they are a fad or something long-lasting.

Can Facebook grow any further you think? Or is it on a decline? Will it go the way of MySpace, remember that?

Facebook is like a utility. It’s ubiquitous nature means it’s like your digital passport; it’s strange not to have a Facebook profile.

A friend of mine went on a date with a guy, who told her he wasn’t on Facebook. That was actually a red flag for her and, she did a little detective work and found out he is married! He certainly has a Facebook page, it’s just that his wife is there.

I don’t think Facebook has any danger of going the way of MySpace. However, it IS in danger of losing influence such that people don’t spend time or contribute content to it. That’s a big problem, especially since their business model is based on advertising.

Can one live in the modern world and NOT be on social media?

Social media is like the telephone or TV or computer. Of course you can, but you’ll be a little disconnected from everything else.

Can one get “off the grid” for any length of time without suffering any ‘social repercussions’?

Society at large, sure, I think so. However, it’s difficult to maintain close relationships with friends without apps like Whasapp. For example, I stay in contact with my siblings from a group chat, and getting off the grid would mean I wouldn’t know what’s going on in my family.

What, if any, are the perils of being so socially connected?

I’ve seen some people mistake the means for the end. Technology is meant to make real relationships and real connections easier, but I’ve seen some pursue social media for the sake of social media. It’s about getting famous, having followers and generating lots of likes. If unchecked, that can be unhealthy.

TOPIC 3: TROLLING

The UK recently tightened laws against cyber-bullying. But not everyone is in favour. What do you think?

I think enacting laws send a good message, but I don’t know about actual enforcement.

How would you handle cyber bullies?

It’s like the saying — don’t feed the trolls! Trolls want to get a reaction out of you; if you don’t provide it, they go away.

Now, cyber-vigilantes go one step further – releasing private information online in a bid to shame wrongdoers, or even people perceived to have done wrong? Where do you draw the line? Is there a place for cyber vigilantism in our society? Is any one of us safe?

That’s a difficult question. I don’t know the answer.

In a sense it’s a problem that’s existed even before social media. The press for example is a soft expression of that. Journalists take bad guys to task in the public, and that’s mostly a good thing, but there can be mistakes as well.

Taking a broader look at this – how can people protect themselves online?

Don’t be famous! For most of us, too much negative attention isn’t typically a problem as long as we don’t feed the troll. It’s a problem that public figures are more likely to have.

Where this breaks down is in localized, anonymous apps like Whisper or Yik Yak. You focus on an area enough and someone’s bound to be famous enough to target. So that can be an issue.

TOPIC 4: STAYING CONNECTED

What if as a user I want to cut the clutter and streamline – I want to stay connected with the people who matter, get useful information and stay on top of world events, how do I do that?

Spring cleaning. Actively manage your feeds and what you follow.

What are the top three social media networks to look out for in 2015?

There are two groups of social media networks to watch out for.

The first are apps that established a beachhead of sorts on the basis of social communication and are now looking to expand beyond that initial beachhead. I’d place companies like Snapchat, Whatsapp and even Instagram in that group. Apps like WeChat and LINE are already moving beyond.

The second group are apps like Whisper and Yik Yak. I’m very interested to see how they evolve and whether they would have any lasting impact.

Will 2015 be the anti-tech year as some predict?

Absolutely not, tech will become a bigger part of our lives every year. Wearable devices, Internet of Things, just take a look at cars. There’s some really cool technology coming to automobiles. Instead of a mirror, a wide lens camera. Instead of a map, a 3D ghost display of a car in front of you guiding the way.

Will hashtagging go away?

The mechanics of tagging, no.

As a tool of discovery, over time, yes. Twitter itself wants to de-emphasize hashtags as they look intimidating to the average person. It’s something they’re looking to solve over time.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/26/clicktivism-social-torlling/feed/0Sydney Begins Clear Up After 16 Hour Siegejyuwonoslacktivism1_0Slow and steady wins the racehttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/25/slow-steady-race/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/25/slow-steady-race/#commentsThu, 25 Dec 2014 15:59:35 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3966]]>Merry Christmas dear readers! You may have noticed that three stories got published in just a few minutes yesterday. My apologies.

As you might have guessed, I’ve started on my holiday — outside of weddings, my first and only holiday of 2014! — and Internet access has not been a given. The stories were written on planes and trains but I only had the chance to upload them yesterday. Hopefully, going forward I will have Internet access more often.

You might be asking why I’m even publishing at all given the holidays. I read an article somewhere — I want to say one of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, but I can’t be sure — it was about how, when trekking long and dangerous distances, the groups that did better were the ones that did it consistently.

I.e., they trekked the same 15 miles every day, no matter how tired or how bad the weather, and conversely, no matter how energetic or good the weather. Those groups did better than the ones who traversed long distances on some days and short distances on others.

So much of achievement is about discipline.

That’s the mindset I’m trying to apply to this blog — one post every day — and indeed, to life and to business. I wish I can find that article; if any of you know what I’m talking about, please post in the comments and I will update.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/25/slow-steady-race/feed/0Everest-RidgejyuwonoDriverless cars will be on the road in 2015http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/24/singapore-driverless-cars/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/24/singapore-driverless-cars/#commentsWed, 24 Dec 2014 15:59:33 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3963]]>I once wrote how the future of driverless cars won’t be one in every home, but one replacing taxis and other car services. Imagine a future where these cars are optimally located around every corner; enough units to match demand, and easily deployable where mismatches occur.

Singapore is the first to take a step into that future in 2015, when they will pilot driverless cars on the road in one of its busiest neighborhoods.

Driverless taxis make a lot of sense for this densely packed city-state. Singapore has long discouraged its citizens to buy cars. A Toyota Corolla that costs $23 thousand in the US, for example, would cost a stunning $136 thousand in Singapore (source). Even then, cars are only allowed to be on the road for 10 years, after which they are scrapped unless you pay another exorbitant tax.

Singapore wants its citizens to use public transport as much as possible and keep congestion out of roads. This is a city-state where a mobile app used to easily hail taxis existed long before Uber became popular.

So driverless taxis make a lot of sense for Singapore, and the Singapore government is already testing it. According to the Technology Review:

The city-state will open one of its neighborhoods to driverless cars in 2015, with the idea that such vehicles could operate as a kind of jitney service, picking up passengers and taking them to trains or other modes of public transportation. The vehicles might be like golf carts, taking people short distances at low speeds, similar to the driverless vehicles demonstrated this year by Google.

Through the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, the city has had pilot tests of driverless cars for several years, starting with two driverless golf carts on the campus of the National University of Singapore. This year it added a Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric car, retrofitted to be autonomous. A driverless bus called the Navia is used as a shuttle at Singapore’s Cleantech eco-industrial park and on campus at Nanyang Technology University.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/24/singapore-driverless-cars/feed/0trialsforsinjyuwonoStarbucks is the real Apple Pay competitorhttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/23/starbucks-apple-pay/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/23/starbucks-apple-pay/#commentsTue, 23 Dec 2014 15:59:15 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3960]]>Starbucks is not just in the business of coffee and real estate — they are moving into mobile payments and are Apple Pay’s real competitor.

Earlier this week, Starbucks dropped Square for mobile payment in its stores, unwinding the partnership the companies announced in 2012.

Square had made Square Wallet obsolete in favor of its newer Square Order, but Starbucks declined to support either. According to a spokesperson for Starbucks:

Starbucks is not adopting Square Order in our stores. We opted to build our own mobile ordering solution, leveraging our own mobile app and world-class loyalty program.

Starbucks is currently testing that app in its Portland, Ore., stores. Moreover, Read Write reports that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, upon leaving Square’s board in October 2013:

He’s announced that mobile payments is a key business for Starbucks, and the company is considering offering its system to other retailers—putting it in competition with Square.

It also puts them in competition with Apple Pay. When Tim Cook announced Apple Pay, Starbucks was shown as a partner on one of his slides.

However, you can’t actually use Apple Pay at Starbucks — the partnership is only for loading Starbucks cards into iPhones, which is hardly substantial, and probably because Starbucks would prefer if customers pay with its own app.

It’s possible that Starbucks will eventually offer support for Apple Pay…but it’s also possible we’ll be paying for Apple products one day with a Starbucks app.

What we probably won’t be using in either place is Square.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/23/starbucks-apple-pay/feed/1Mobile PaymentjyuwonoThe Interview is more like the confusionhttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/22/the-interview-scandal/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/22/the-interview-scandal/#commentsMon, 22 Dec 2014 15:59:56 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3957]]>I am a little confused by all the hubbub the The Interview movie has generated.

Did the North Korean government really do it? I have no doubt there’s a hacker unit in their intelligence agency — there’s probably one in every agency — but why would you target a movie or a Japanese entertainment studio of all things? I understand The Interview is offensive to North Koreans, but the movie isn’t even out yet so how would they even know just how bad it is.

If I was the head of that agency I’d target something more important. Something that would actually matter to national security and strategy. I wouldn’t expose my country to something as mundane as a movie, and a comedy at that.

I’m also a little confused with Sony. They pulled the movie because theaters didn’t want to show it? Everyone’s talking about this movie; it’s a goldmine with all the publicity it has generated. If I ran a movie theater I’d be falling all over myself to show it.

Was it movie theaters, or was it Sony running scared? Key execs made that decision, and it’s sensitive information about those key execs that the hacker group has threatened to release.

Then President Obama and the FBI made statements, the North Korean government too and now it’s officially a BIG DEAL.

The whole thing has left me scratching my head. It’s like a bad episode out of a TV show turned real.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/22/the-interview-scandal/feed/3the-interviewjyuwonoThe next tech frontier: your butt, not your wrist?http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/21/technology-cars/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/21/technology-cars/#commentsSun, 21 Dec 2014 15:59:08 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3952]]>There was the PC revolution, than the Internet and now mobile. Tech analysts are falling all over themselves to predict the next great thing, with wearable devices like the smartwatch being the primary candidate.

Maybe the next frontier is not on your wrist but on your butt instead, by which I mean cars.

There’s some impressive tech on the horizon coming soon to cars. There is of course driverless cars, and that’s been covered here before. There’s a ton of cool stuff brewing between now and that future.

The first is this new take on navigation by Jaguar. Forget the traditional map and blue lines. Imagine a blue hologram car that’s just ahead of you, guiding where to go. It’s the future take of how we used to do guidance — by following a buddy.

This is done by a heads-up-display technology to project the “ghost car” ahead. According to Jaguar:

Driving on city streets can be a stressful experience, but imagine being able to drive across town without having to look at road signs, or be distracted trying to locate a parking space as you drive by. We want to present all of this information on a Heads-Up Display in the driver’s eye-line, so the driver doesn’t have to seek it out for themselves and take their eyes off the road ahead.

Pretty freaking cool!

Here’s another reinvention of something we’ve taken for granted: the rear view mirror. How annoying is it when that mirror is blocked by a tall passenger in the back? Or when the sun is shining into it?

What if the rear view mirror isn’t a mirror at all, but a wide angle camera in the back showing you what’s behind there?

Cadillac has apparently worked hard to make sure that the screen won’t be difficult to see in less-than-stellar conditions. In a press release, the company says that it’s using a “high dynamic range” camera that produces a “video feed [that] reduces glare and allows a crisper image in low-light situations, versus a traditional glass electrochromatic, or auto-dimming, rearview mirror.” The exterior camera also has a hydrophobic coating that should help keep it clear even in rainy conditions.

And if for some reason the 1280 x 240 LCD screen is giving you problems, you can switch back to a traditional mirror at the press of a button.

There is of course Android M, the successor to Android Auto, Google’s operating system for the car. Unlike Android Auto, Android M would not require a smartphone to work and would be built directly into cars.

According to Reuters:

Direct integration into cars ensures that drivers will use Google’s services every time they turn on the ignition, without having to plug in the phone. It could allow Google to make more use of a car’s camera, sensors, fuel gauge, and Internet connections that come with some newer car models.

Google’s software could potentially connect to other car components, allowing, for example, a built-in navigation system like Google Maps to detect when fuel is low and provide directions to the nearest gas stations.

Speculation is that Android M can make an appearance as early as next year.

Of course, the pace of innovation isn’t likely to be as quick for cars as it has been for computers and smartphones. The primary reason is because purchase cycles are far longer — 5, 7 more than 10 years — not to mention larger in size. It could take decades for technology in cars to mature.

Nevertheless, I can’t wait for that future to arrive.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/21/technology-cars/feed/02014-cadillac-cts-vsport-rearview-mirrorjyuwonoJaguar Ghost Car NavigationEntrepreneurship is not about success at all costshttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/20/haruko-obotaka-scandal/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/20/haruko-obotaka-scandal/#commentsSat, 20 Dec 2014 15:59:30 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3940]]>As entrepreneurs or as aspiring entrepreneurs, we all have pressure to succeed. Given many of us gave up dependable, rewarding careers to do our own thing, it’s a burden that can weigh heavy at times.

There’s a story out of Japan that’s a good reminder not to lose sight of what’s important: creating real value and not just the perception of it; the satisfaction of a job well done and not the pursuit of celebration and admiration.

That story is disgraced researcher Haruko Obotaka, who earlier this year claimed she discovered so-called STAP cells that can grow into any tissue in the body. For example, it could grow new human organs for sick or injured people who need them. If true, STAP cells would have been game changing for all humanity.

It was the kind of discovery on par with Louis Pasteur and vaccination — and coming from such a young, relatively attractive woman too. And so, unsurprisingly, Obotaka became an instant celebrity and national hero in Japan.

Unfortunately, nobody else could replicate Obotaka’s results. Subsequent investigations by Japanese research institute Riken concluded that Obotaka had plagiarized and fabricated parts of her research.

In manipulating the image data of two different gels and using data from two different experiments, Dr. Obokata acted in a manner that can by no means be permitted. This cannot be explained solely by her immaturity as a researcher. Given the poor quality of her laboratory notes it has become clearly evident that it will be extremely difficult for anyone else to accurately trace or understand her experiments, and this, too, is considered a serious obstacle to healthy information exchange. Dr. Obokata’s actions and sloppy data management lead us to the conclusion that she sorely lacks, not only a sense of research ethics, but also integrity and humility as a scientific researcher.

On August, Obotaka’s supervisor Yoshiki Sasai hanged himself after months of stress and exhaustion from the scandal.

Obotaka was insistent that STAP cells do exist and, under close watch, tried as well to replicate her earlier discovery. Of course, she could not, and so earlier this week announced her “resignation.”

Obotaka’s story is a reminder that it’s never worth taking shortcuts. It’s better to live a difficult life of harsh truths than an easy one of paper thin lies. It’s better to accept failure than to fabricate success.

You have to believe that you will eventually make it — one step at a time — and even if you don’t, at least there’s the integrity of the journey itself to appreciate.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/20/haruko-obotaka-scandal/feed/0INVESTIGADORA NIPONA ACUSADA DE FRAUDE ADMITE ERRORES PERO DEFIENDE HALLAZGOjyuwonoGoogle wants to show ads can drive store visits…or nothttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/19/google-wants-to-show-ads-can-drive-store-visits-or-not/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/19/google-wants-to-show-ads-can-drive-store-visits-or-not/#commentsFri, 19 Dec 2014 15:59:44 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3936]]>Google announced yesterday the initial roll out of a new “store visits” metric for AdWords. Essentially, it is an attempt to trace conversion from an ad click to an actual store visit. According to Google:

With the holiday season upon us, it’s clear that the majority of sales for many industries still happen in person – in fact, roughly 95% of retail sales take place in physical stores.1 And online activities are influencing offline transactions more than ever, bringing together the digital and physical worlds. Thirty-two percent of consumers say that location-based search ads have led them to visit a store or make a purchase, so it’s more important than ever for businesses to understand the impact that search ads have in driving visits to your physical locations, whether that’s a store, hotel, auto dealership or restaurant.

The implementation, however, leaves something to be desired. Google will establish location by conventional means, e.g. geo-fencing and Wi-Fi, and which can have an error rate of over 500 meters!

This means the store visit metric will only work for certain kinds of retailers. It won’t work for stores in dense areas or in shopping malls. It’ll only work for a Costco-like mega store that’s in the middle of nowhere by itself.

Worse, a store visit will count up to 30 days from when an ad is clicked. 30 days! I don’t even remember what I did last weekend. If the ad worked, you’d think the user would have acted on the ad sooner than 30 days.

Yet, Google’s effort is better than nothing and the message is a good one.

The advertising industry is ripe for disruption – even the online version of it. We’ve done our own studies to establish the link between plain vanilla online ads and store visits, and our conclusion is that conversion is not great. To the order of about $100 per paying customer.

Google has its own case study in PetSmart. Supposedly, PetSmart achieved 10% to 18% conversion of search ad clicks to store visits.

Let’s go with 10% as the number, because the definition of a store visit is so generous, the real number is likely far lower. Say you paid $3 per click – a reasonable base cost of a high quality keyword. That means each store visit costs $30, minimum. Not everyone will transact, and the rule of thumb in retail is 20% to 50% will.

Overall, that’s probably less than our own estimate, but then again we have no incentive to make this look good.

While the store visit metric isn’t accurate enough to be definitive, and will no doubt confuse and mislead some, I applaud Google’s attempt to add transparency to the process.

However, when the light is turned on, people may not like what they see.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/19/google-wants-to-show-ads-can-drive-store-visits-or-not/feed/0liquorstorebirmingham32jyuwonoHey Evan, relax! If the strategy is good, won’t matter if everyone knowshttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/18/snapchat-strategy-leaks/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/18/snapchat-strategy-leaks/#commentsThu, 18 Dec 2014 15:59:22 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3926]]>My strategy professor from business school once said that if you left your company’s strategic plan on the bus and a competitor discovered it…and you were then screwed, it was a bad strategic plan. I completely agree.

A great strategy is one that’s unique to your company. For Apple, it’s a commitment to simple designs that cater to the every-person, and to deliver integrated, vertical experiences even if that means basic feature sets. Everyone knows this, but only Apple can be Apple. Only Apple has a large, loyal fan base that absolutely trusts Apple’s product taste and are willing to always pay for it. Only Apple can attract the best talent without needing to pay top dollar for them. Apple’s war chest means they’re able to tightly control their supply chain so competitors have a hard time matching its product quality and profit margins.

Elements of Snapchat’s strategic plan were leaked in the recent hack of Sony Pictures, and so I was surprised to read a very emotional reply from the CEO of Snapchat, Evan Spiegel.

It might seem condescending for me to suggest he should relax but…hey Evan, relax!

Snapchat’s long-term strategy isn’t exactly a secret. They’re increasingly competing with Instagram and Twitter to provide a lens into what’s happening at a place or event (like the World Cup), and enabling conversations about it.

We’ve got to monetize [Windows] differently. And there are services involved. There are additional opportunities for us to bring additional services to the product and do it in a creative way. And through the course of the summer and spring we’ll be announcing what that business model looks like. At the same time it’s wonderful to see these nine-inch and below devices explode, because that was an area, candidly, I was blocked out and I had no share of what was getting built. So it’s a very fascinating transition for us. And finding new ways to monetize the lifetime of that customer on those devices, again, I would tell you we’re learning, we’re growing, and we’re smarter and wiser every day.

The key language is “finding new ways to monetize the lifetime of that customer,” which is another way of saying that they’re shifting from a product-centric view to a customer-centric one. It doesn’t have to be Windows per se necessarily.

Many have interpreted that to mean the base OS might be free, and that Microsoft will earn via subscription or freemium. While the Redmond company will likely continue to charge enterprises and computer manufacturers, Windows and all its updates should absolutely be free to consumers. It probably will.

Although it may not look like it, Microsoft has actually been dealing with monetization questions for a long time. Back when Windows was a monopoly, it was difficult for Microsoft to add features to Windows without incurring anti-monopoly wrath. Security was one such example – the likes of Norton and McAfee lobbied hard behind the scenes to keep built-in security out of Windows.

Moreover, monetizing those new features was difficult. Raising the price of a monopoly product would get a lot of backlash, so Microsoft never did.

The strategy Microsoft adopted – and this was prior to the mass adoption of the Internet – is to sell premium SKUs. Remember the pricey Windows Vista Ultimate? Premium SKUs was Microsoft’s tactic of introducing and monetizing new features. It avoided anti-monopoly scrutiny because the base SKU still costed the same and didn’t compete in new markets.

However, that approach had limited success. Most people buy Windows through computer manufacturers and computer manufacturers didn’t choose SKUs on the basis of features but on marketing: basic Windows for basic laptops, premium Windows for premium laptops. Moreover, consumers had low awareness about SKU differences, and they probably didn’t care too much anyway.

So the market signals that would reward Windows for developing new features didn’t work. It was far easier to simply sell the same old Windows licenses and call it a day.

That’s why I believe Windows went into a stagnant period where it produced few – if any – lasting consumer-oriented innovations.

I’m optimistic that things will be different with Windows 10 for two key reasons. 1) Mass adoption of the Internet means it’s far easier for Microsoft to cross-sell and up-sell features. 2) There is now a succeed-or-die urgency to make this work.

This is undoubtedly a good thing: for consumers, for the industry and even for Microsoft given present realities. It will put the focus back on creating good products and recruiting the best team possible to make them.

At long last, Microsoft has to compete to win our dollars.

]]>http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/17/windows-business-model/feed/0MonopolyjyuwonovistasmallSpanish newspapers vs Google…guess who winshttp://cornerplay.com/2014/12/16/google-news-spain-newspapers/
http://cornerplay.com/2014/12/16/google-news-spain-newspapers/#commentsTue, 16 Dec 2014 15:59:52 +0000http://cornerplay.com/?p=3909]]>One of my biggest learning from writing this blog is the power Google wields. Building a following that is loyal and reads whatever you write is incredibly hard; much easier to appeal to the Google gods to send traffic your way.

I understand this, and I’m writing a rinky-dink blog.

The newspaper publishing industry in Spain doesn’t, so they lobbied the government to enact a law so newspapers can charge Google every time snippets appear on Google News. This wouldn’t just apply to Google News but to all other news aggregators too like feecha.

Google responded the way I would’ve and called their bluff — by pulling Google News out of Spain and excluding Spain-based newspapers from Google News.

Here’s the industry’s response:

￼“Given the dominant position of Google (which in Spain controls almost all of the searches in the market and is an authentic gateway to the Internet), [The Spanish Newspaper Publishers’ Association] requires the intervention of Spanish and community authorities, and competition authorities, to effectively protect the rights of citizens and companies”.

Ha! Newspapers in Spain want their cake and eat it too. They want Google to pay royalties and still invite them to the party.

You can’t have it both ways. Either Google is helping these newspapers, in which case, it’s odd to expect them to pay — or Google is leeching off these newspapers, in which case if an agreement cannot be reached, they are better off with Google walking away anyway.